Pull clamp device

ABSTRACT

A MEMBER HAVING GENERALLY RIGHT-ANGULARLY EXTENDING PORTIONS, ONE OF WHICH MAY BE SECURED TO CLAMPING JAWS WHILE THE OTHER PORTION IS PROVIDED WITH ARCUATE MEANS FOR ATTACHING A PULLING DEVICE SUCH AS A FLEXIBLE CHAIN OR CABLE TO DIRECT A PULL THROUGH AN ARC WHOSE RADIAL CENTER IS AT THE CLAMPING JAW. AN ARCUATE ARM MEANS EXTENDS BETWEEN THE TWO RIGHT-ANGULARLY EXTENDING PORTIONS SERVING AS ANOTHER LOCATION FOR ATTACHMENT OF A CHAIN OR CABLE WHICH MAY HAVE A PULL DIRECTED VARIOUSLY THROUGH AN ARC WHOSE RADIAL CENTER ALSO LIES AT THE CLAMPING JAWS.

Oct. 5, 1971 w. R. LINCOURT PULL CLAMP DEVICE Filed July 31, 1969 INVENTOR WILLIAM R. LINCOURT 2/ F l G. 7 aai lfi 3/135 FIG.6 55

FIGS

ATI' TORNEYS United States Patent O 3,610,022 PULL CLAMP DEVICE William R. Lincourt, 138 Coggeshall Ave., Newport, R.I. 02840 Filed July 31, 1969, Ser. No. 846,360 Int. Cl. B21j 13/08 US. Cl. 72457 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In my Pat. 3,241,352 dated Mar. 22, 1966, a pull clamp having jaws with a fin extending in the plane of the jaws and affording a plurality of points of attachment is shown. There are cases, however, where a pull cannot be directed in the plane of the gripping edges of the jaws but needs to be offset from this plane, and this cannot be accomplished in the showing of my Pat. 3,241,352. The present application serves as an adapter for this pull clamp of this patent or may be utilized with the jaws shown in the patent without the fin referred to for connecting a cable to the jaws and directing the pull on a line that passes through the jaws.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A pull member is provided with generally right-angularly extending portions, one of which is slotted for securing this portion to the gripping jaws such as shown in my above mentioned patent so as to serve as an adapter therefor or the member may be secured to a pair of gripping jaws without the fin shown in this patent to serve as an assembly with such jaws as a point of attachment for a cable where a pull may be directed other than in the plane of the gripping surfaces of the jaws. The portion extending at right angles to the portion attached to the jaws is provided with an opening having an arcuate inner surface so that the pulling means may be attached through the opening while it is also provided with a strengthening arm extending between the two right angularly extending portions and beneath which the pulling means may be attached, said arm being in the form of an are for the various directions which may be desired for the direction of pull.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pull member;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the jaws to which the pull member is attached;

FIG. 3 is an edge view of the assembly of the pull member and the gripping jaws;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are elevational views diagrammatically showing the direction in which a flexible pulling means such as a chain or cable may be directed by reason of its different points of attachment to the pull member;

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view taken on line 88 of FIG. and

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of a modified form.

Patented Oct. 5, 1971 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIG. 2 a pair of clamping jaws similar to the clamping jaws shown in the above mentioned patent is illustrated, the lower jaw 10 having an upwardly directed flange 11 provided with gripping teeth 12 while the upper jaw 14 is provided with a downwardly directed flange 15 having similar gripping teeth 16. The lower jaw has a rib 18 adjacent its opposite edge while the upper jaw has a flange 19 to hook over this rib for alignment of the gripping surfaces 12 and 16 and also to support the jaws against a pull which would tend to shear the jaws one with reference to the other. Bolts 20 having heads 21 freely pass through openings in the upper jaw 14 and are threaded into openings in the lower jaw 10 for moving the jaws together. A central rib 22 may be located through the bolt area and together with transverse ribs 23, an engagement surface is provided on the jaws. The pull member is designated generally 25, as shown in FIG. 1, and comprises a first attaching portion 26 and a second fin portion 27 which extends at generally right angles to the attaching portion 26 and is one piece therewith.

The attaching portion 26 is provided with slots 28 extending inwardly from one edge 29 thereof so that this portion 26 may receive the bolts 20 and slide beneath the heads 21 of the bolts 20 and overlie the upper jaw 14. Bosses 30 serve to locate the pull member on the jaw and enter depressions 31 on the pull member at the slots 28 (FIG. 8). A protrusion 32 on the jaw engages depression 33 and provides alignment of the portion 26 parallel to the general extent of the plane of the gripping surfaces as well as orienting portion 27 normal to the gripping surfaces. After the portion 26 is positioned beneath the heads of the bolts, the bolts may be turned down to clamp the pull member firmly with the jaws as the jaws are clamped onto the work to be operated upon.

The other portion 27 of the pull member is provided with a pair of openings 35 and 36 so that some flexible pulling means, such as a chain or cable, may be passed through these openings for pulling on the jaws. The material about the openings has rounded edges to prevent damage to the flexible pulling means. The inner surfaces of the openings are on a common radius, as seen by line 37 in FIG. 6, for a purpose to be described. Further an arm 38 extends from and is cast one piece with the portions 26 and 27 which arm is arcuate in shape providing ample space beneath it for the passing of a flexible chain or cable and providing a further point of attachment for a cable or chain to the pull member. This arm 38 also has rounded edges for the purpose above pointed out. This ann also acts as a brace between the two portions 26 and 27 enhancing the strength of the pull member and may receive a pulling means to direct a pull in a selected direction through about of arc whose radius is represented by line 39 in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 4 the two jaws 10 and 14 are shown as clamped upon a piece of work W with the pull member 25 also secured in place to the jaws, while there is diagrammatically indicated at 40 a flexible member with arrows 41 showing the direction of pull on the circumference of a circle and in a line passing through the jaws from the center of such circle to avoid twisting action on the work W. It will also be apparent that this pull may be at a different point along the arc of the arm 38 such as shown at 42 or it might extend at any point intermediate of an arc of substantially 90 defined by the arm 38 and still pass through the center of the arc and thus avoid twisting. A pull normal to the jaws may be had by passing a cable in through opening 35 around the post 27A and thence out opening 36 as represented at 43 in FIG. 1.

3 In FIG. 5 the work is shown at W with a flexible cable 45 positioned through opening 36 fora pull 'in' the direction shown by arrows 46 or a cable 47 may be positioned through opening 35 for a pull as shown by the arrows 48 on the work piece W. In this case the work piece is in a generally vertical plane.

In FIG. 6 I have illustrated the work piece W in substantially a horizontal plane and here there is a flexible cable 50 that passes through opening 35 for a pull as shown in the direction of the arrows at 51 or a cable may be placed as shown at 52 through opening 36 with a direction of pull as shown by arrows 53. It will of course be apparent that the direction of pull may be at any point along the arc of the circular openings 35 or 36 for directions of pull at right angles or at an inclined direction to the plane of the work W or substantially in a parallel plane to the work W if a cable 54 extends through opening 36 as diagrammed. The acute angle of arm 27 to the base 26 locks the cable 54 in the apex of the angle. In

all cases, however, when the cable is in engagement with the arcuate inner surfaces of openings 35, 36, the pull is directed through a center located in the work when in the jaws. This also holds true for substantially all of the inner surface of arm 38 causing a self-centering for a more effective pull.

To pull at the center of the adaptor, the pulling means must pass through 35, go under arm 38, and forward as indicated by arrows 55 and 56 in FIGS. 1 and 6. This can also begin with 36 instead of35. A center pull can also be made by passing the chain or cable through 35, under arm 38 or around post 27A, and through 36 as indicated by arrows 57 and 58. This, however, causes a slight rocking or twisting action at jaws and 14.

In FIG. 7 the arrangement is similar to the previous illustrations except that here the pull member is clamped to the jaws in opposite fashion and may achieve parallel plane pull as shown by line 55 or a variety of twisting actions.

In FIG. 9 the pull member 25' is modified from the showing in FIG. 6 to provide a continuous are of portion 27 to a wider attaching portion 26' while arm 38 remains substantially unchanged. 1

From the above it will be apparent that by reason of the pull member which may serve as an adapter on the pull clamp in my Patent 3,241,352 or as an assembly with only the jaws of this patent as shown herein a pull may be directed oifsetfrom the plane of the -=work -and in substantially any direction which is most advantageous for directing the pull upon the work or straightening it such as frequently occurs in the straightening of automobile bodies.

I claim:

-1. A pull clamp comprising a pair of work gripping jaws, a pull member secured to said jaws, said member comprising generally right angularly related portions, a first portion overlying and secured tov said jaws, and a second portion extending as a fin from said gripping jaws and provided with means to attach a pulling device thereto, said means comprising an arm extending from said first portion to said second portion and to which a pulling device may be secured. M

2. A pull clamp as recited in of openings are provided in said fin portion to which a pulling device may be secured and wherein said arm is arcuate in shape.

3. A pull clamp comprising a pair of Work gripping jaws, a pull member secured to said jaws, said member comprising generally right angularly related portions, a first portion overlying and secured to said jaws, and a second portion extending as a fin from said gripping jaws and provided with means to attach a pulling device thereto, said means comprising at least one laterally elongated opening formed in said fin, said opening defined by edges at least a portion of which lie on an arc whose radius passes through said jaws.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hunter 72-45 7 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner G. P. CROSBY, Assistant Examiner U.S. c1. X.R. 2662 B; 269-86 claim 1 wherein a plurality. 

